Microsoft has rolled out a new update to the Skype app for Android, bumping the version number to 4.7. On top of that, the key new feature in this update is an aggressive battery savings improvement.

"Sometimes a change you can’t see can make a huge difference. Imagine being able to leave Skype running on your phone all day without having to worry about your battery life. The Skype for Android team has been working to make that possible ever since we promised to improve your mobile experience back in July. With Skype 4.7 for Android, we are introducing aggressive battery savings that will allow most of our users to leave Skype running without noticeably affecting battery life," Microsoft stated in an official blog post.

In order to allow Skype to greatly reduce its impact to battery life, Microsoft had to transform the way Skype technology works. While the company has yet to fully complete this transformation, Microsoft has rolled out Skype 4.7 for Android which features the jist of what Microsoft hopes to accomplish - aggressive battery savings while using Skype!

To achieve these amazing battery savings, Microsoft has turned off instant notification of messages in group chats. This feature will return in a future update that will also greatly reduce impact on battery life. If you want it back now, simply go to Settings > Notifications > check the “Sync group messages in the background” box.

The following improvements were also made to the app:

Workaround for the KitKat bug which caused a runaway process when the camera was synced in the background.

Fix for audio and video calling on tablets that do not have Bluetooth.

Now lists your Windows Live Messenger contacts in the Skype (default) view, not just the All contacts view.

Hit the download link below to be taken to the Google Play Store. The update is available now, for free.